Jim Ruetz appointed District 3 alderman

He has served on CDA for nine years

Oak Creek - Jim Ruetz is officially the newest member of the Common Council.

In a special meeting May 14, the Common Council appointed Ruetz as District 3 alderman.

The position was vacated by Steve Scaffidi when he was elected mayor in April. Ruetz will fill out the remainder of the term, until April 2013, at which time an election for the seat will be held.

With a panel of five applicants - which also included Fred Siepert, Amy Burger, Richard Muza and Kevin Rokenbrodt - the Common Council took two votes before reaching the decision to appoint Ruetz.

"I've gone through this process three times, appointing an alderman to a vacant seat, and in my opinion, this was probably the best group of candidates across the board," District 4 Alderman Mike Toman, who serves as council president, said.

Toman made the nomination to appoint Ruetz, he said, based on his educational background, experience as a business owner and long-standing role on the Community Development Authority.

"I believe all of those things added together make him a great alderman," he said.

Ruetz has resided in Oak Creek for 26 years and in District 3 for 14 years. He has served on the Community Development Authority for the past nine years.

Since 1995 he has served as president/general manager of All Fasteners, an inventory management company in Franksville. He holds a Master's of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, a bachelor's degree in geography/urban planning from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and an associate degree in oceanographic engineering from the University of Florida Institute of Technology.

Ruetz has previously run for seats on the Wisconsin Assembly and Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, and saw the District 3 aldermanic vacancy as an opportunity to extend his role on the Community Development Authority and support his community, he said.

Aside from his well-rounded background, Ruetz's ideas for development sites throughout the city also made him a great choice for the role, Scaffidi said.

As District 3 alderman, Ruetz believes it will be important to focus on "the opportunities we have to develop parts of the city, expand our tax base and improve the standard of living for everyone," he said.

AT A GLANCE

The contact information for newly appointed District 3 Alderman Jim Ruetz is as follows:

Home Address - 8950 S. Parkside Drive

Phone - (414) 571-6969

For more information, visit oakcreekwi.org and select "Your Government," then "Elected Officials."

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